Puppy Love and [Information] Play an intersection of theatre, queer kink and consent

Abstract

This note from the field is about a nexus of queer kink subcultures and consent-based intimacy work in theatre. I report, investigate and wrangle with the process of incorporating queer kink into a university production of Love and Information by Caryl Churchill I directed. What I have learned and hope to demonstrate throughout this paper, is that queer kink subcultures are paradigmatic communities built on consent, and we as performing arts practitioners can more visibly expand the margins of our cultural competency dialogues to not only include them but look to them as productive modes to investigate relationships of power, embodiment and performance.